I’M NOT sure what was more impressive, the masterly piano playing or the acerbic wit?

But Aussie musical comedian Tim Minchin merged them together for a night of intelligent, provocative and strangely melodic humour.

The Ready For This show on Saturday night may have been music-based but the creative, barefoot 33-year-old equally turned his hand to straight stand-up, which interlaced the show.

Religion, causality theories, evolution and Bono-style ‘save the world’ rock stars were at the brunt of many jokes that saw an almost faultless first half.

The second half however – and I write this with trepidation as one of the vengeful witty songs was dedicated to a journalist who gave him a bad review – dipped about half way through and became a more thought-provoking view on life than comedy.

Anyone who missed this gig has the chance to catch Minchin’s show when he returns on October 31 to Symphony Hall.